Global travel data provider, OAG, has revealed the busiest international and domestic airline routes in 2023 and an Australian one has made the cut. 

OAG ranks airline routes by measuring the volume of scheduled airline seats in both directions. Coming out on top of the domestic routes around the world was Jeju International–Seoul Gimpo with 13.73 million seats available in 2023. 

In the second and third spots were domestic Japan routes. Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City placed fourth with 10.88 million seats available. Australia’s most popular route is not only popular by Australian standards but globally, coming in at 5th with 9.34 million seats available in 2023. While Aussies are well aware that Melbourne–Sydney is the busiest route Down Under – we don’t recommend catching a peak hour flight – it is impressive that it measures so highly internationally. 

The top ten list of the busiest domestic flights in the world is as follows: 

1. Jeju International – Seoul Gimpo (13,728,786 seats)
2. Sapporo New Chitose – Tokyo Haneda (11,936,302)
3. Fukuoka – Tokyo Haneda (11,264,229)
4. Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City (10,883,555)
5. Melbourne – Sydney (9,342,312)
6. Beijing – Shanghai Hongqiao (8,355,225)
7. Tokyo Haneda – Okinawa Naha (7,982,218)
8. Jeddah – Riyadh (7,902,142)
9. Mumbai – Delhi (7,276,430)
10. Jakarta – Denpasar-Bali (7,190,961)

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When it comes to international routes, no Australian flight path made the list. Kuala Lumpur–Singapore Changi claimed the top spot with 4.89 million seats in 2023, followed by Cairo–Jeddah with 4.79 million seats and Hong Kong-Taipei with 4.57 million seats. 

The full list of the busiest international flights in the world is as follows: 

1. Kuala Lumpur – Singapore Changi (4,891,952 seats)
2. Cairo – Jeddah (4,795,712)
3. Hong Kong – Taipei (4,568,280)
4. Seoul Incheon – Osaka Kansai (4,218,484)
5. Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita (4,155,418)
6. Dubai – Riyadh (3,990,076)
7. Jakarta – Singapore Changi (3,910,502)
8. New York JFK – London Heathrow (3,878,590)
9. Bangkok – Singapore Changi (3,478,474)
10. Bangkok – Seoul Incheon (3,362,968) 

Australia’s airline routes have been hitting new heights as of late. Five popular routes made the top ten list of the flights with the most turbulence in the Oceania Region. Find out which flights to avoid if you hate bumpy rides here. 

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